Flood of new bills filed on Beacon Hill

Jackie Reiss/Daily News correspondent

Thursday

Jan 27, 2011 at 12:01 AMJan 27, 2011 at 6:59 PM

MetroWest legislators have filed hundreds of proposed bills for the new session, with measures ranging from providing help to the homeless, tax breaks for businesses, incentives to homeowners and health care reform.

MetroWest legislators have filed hundreds of proposed bills for the new session, with measures ranging from providing help to the homeless, tax breaks for businesses, incentives to homeowners and health care reform.

Sen. Jamie Eldridge, D-Acton, filed 92 pieces of legislation, with most of the bills aimed at expanding access to health care, environmental protection, government transparency, and welfare system reform.

One of the main bills Eldridge supports would create an office of Clean Technology, which would promote the use of clean energy in various industries.

"There are a lot of entrepreneurs in the MetroWest area in alternative energy and energy efficiency," said Eldridge. "We want these businesses to expand in Massachusetts."

State Rep. David Linsky, D-Natick, proposed 34 bills, including one that would mandate ammunition be micro-stamped with identification to help police track down criminals. Other Linsky proposals include a bill bringing specific charges against organized retail theft rings, and a proposed state income tax deduction for residents who pay fees for trash pickup, their children's school bus transportation and athletic activities.

"These are the types of fees governments now need to charge to make ends meet," said Linsky.

Linsky also wants to establish a commission at the University of Massachusetts Medical School to study the treatment and prevention of Lyme disease.

"Lyme disease is now in epidemic proportions, and a specific hot spot is in the MetroWest area," he said. "If you talk to anyone in the state, either a member of their family or someone they're close to has contracted Lyme disease."

Freshman state Rep. Steven Levy, R-Marlborough, filed bills that focus on trimming political perks, including the elimination of per diem payments to legislators, removing elected officials from the pension system, and changing the state government to a part-time Legislature.

Levy also filed bills to toughen child sex offender laws, such as prohibiting a registered offender from loitering around playgrounds and schools and stricter registration requirements for sexual offenders who move from one town to another.

"There is nothing specified about personal appearance, so I want an enhancement that says they must appear within two days at the new police station," he said.

Another freshman, state Rep. Chris Walsh, D-Framingham, filed bills that would change the way Framingham would negotiate municipal employees' health care costs, request to open access to fenced-off aqueducts in Framingham owned by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, and provide incentives to homeowners who raise their home's assessment through renovations and additions. Those property owners would get a break on taxes in the first year and in succeeding years would gradually pay more.

Walsh also filed to switch Framingham's housing legal cases from the district court to state Housing Court.

"Everyone I talked to on all sides of the issue thinks it would be beneficial to switch courts," he said. "Judges in the Housing Court already understand a lot of the issues."

Spilka, who sits on a state jobs creation commission, stressed the importance of overhauling a clause in the corporate tax system that affects retail companies with headquarters in her district, such as TJX and Staples, making them pay more taxes.

Lowering the amount of taxes paid by these companies "would also encourage other businesses to bring headquarters here, which would increase economic development," Spilka said.

State Rep. Tom Sannicandro, D-Ashland, filed a bill that would encourage the use of technology to cut through business red tape. Under his legislation, businesses could go online to file corporation papers, notarize documents and digitalize health records for medical patients.

"If you have a heart attack and go to the emergency room, before they have to do any tests on you they already know your past history," he said. "It would save a lot of money and keep people very healthy."

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